System and method for improved coordination between control and safety systems

Abstract

A system and method are provided for monitoring and control of a plurality of field devices separately provided in a safety subsystem and a process control subsystem. The field devices include conventional safety subsystem field devices associated with one or more processes or subprocesses and conventional process control subsystem field devices associated with one or more of the processes or subprocesses. The integrated and coordinated system uses complementary field device data including mappings of safety subsystem field devices and process control subsystem field devices corresponding to the same process or subprocess Signals are received from a compromised field device and its functions are delegated to its complementary field device as indicated by the complementary field device data.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system for monitoring and control of a plurality of field devices separately provided in a safety subsystem and a process control subsystem, the field devices including safety subsystem field devices associated with one or more processes or subprocesses and process control subsystem field devices associated with one or more of the processes or subprocesses, the monitoring and control system comprising:
 a memory that stores complementary field device data including mappings of safety subsystem field devices and process control subsystem field devices corresponding to the same process or subprocess, such that a safety subsystem field device that becomes compromised is mapped to a healthy complementary process control subsystem field device corresponding to the same process or subprocess, and such that a process control subsystem field device that becomes compromised is mapped to a healthy complementary safety subsystem field device corresponding to the same process or subprocess; 
 a processor coupled to the memory; and 
 a coordination module executable by the processor, wherein the coordination module monitors the health of the process control subsystem and safety subsystem field devices, and upon determining that a particular field device is in a compromised state, delegates a function or functions of that compromised field device to its complementary field device as indicated by the complementary field device data. 
 
     
     
       2. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the coordination module stores to the memory instructions to prevent a delegated complementary field device from intentionally being taken out of service. 
     
     
       3. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the coordination module instructs a delegated field device to activate an alarm to prevent the delegated field device from intentionally being taken out of service. 
     
     
       4. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the coordination module stores to the memory instructions to maintain process control or safety conditions using a delegated complementary field device. 
     
     
       5. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the field devices include final control elements. 
     
     
       6. The monitoring and control system of  claim 5 , further comprising an advanced diagnostic and control module associated with one or more of the final control elements for communication between the final control elements and the coordination module. 
     
     
       7. The monitoring and control system of  claim 6 , in which the advanced diagnostic and control module comprises:
 an advanced diagnostic and control memory for storing information related to the associated final control element, information related to a complementary final control element of the associated field device, and user configurable data; 
 an advanced diagnostic and control processor coupled to the advanced diagnostic and control memory, the advanced diagnostic and control module controlled by the advanced diagnostic and control processor; 
 a first interface for communications with the coordination module; and 
 a second interface for communications with the associated final control element. 
 
     
     
       8. The monitoring and control system of  claim 5 , further comprising an interactive sensor diagnostic monitor associated with one or more of the sensors for communication between the sensors and the coordination module. 
     
     
       9. The monitoring and control system of  claim 8 , in which the interactive sensor diagnostic monitor comprises:
 an interactive sensor diagnostic monitor memory for storing information related to the associated sensor, information related to a complementary sensor of the associated sensor, and user configurable data; 
 an interactive sensor diagnostic monitor processor coupled to the interactive sensor diagnostic monitor memory, the interactive sensor diagnostic monitor controlled by the interactive sensor diagnostic monitor processor; 
 a first interface for communications with the coordination module; and 
 a second interface for communications with the associated sensor. 
 
     
     
       10. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the field devices include sensors. 
     
     
       11. The monitoring and control system of  claim 10 , further comprising an interactive sensor diagnostic monitor associated with one or more of the sensors for communication between the coordination module. 
     
     
       12. The monitoring and controlling system of  claim 1 , wherein the safety subsystem includes a safety logic solver having a memory that stores safety system field device data and a processor coupled to the safety logic solver memory, and a safety monitoring and control module for monitoring and control of field devices. 
     
     
       13. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the process control subsystem includes a distributed control system having a memory that stores process control system field device data and a processor coupled to the distributed control system memory, and a process control module for monitoring and control of field devices. 
     
     
       14. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores, for a particular field device, mappings of a plurality of corresponding field devices, and wherein the coordination module, upon receiving an indication that the particular field device is compromised, replaces the function or functions of that compromised field device with the function or functions of the plurality of corresponding field devices. 
     
     
       15. The monitoring and control system of  claim 14 , wherein the particular field device comprises a sensor, and an average reading of the plurality of corresponding sensors is used to replace the reading of the compromised sensor. 
     
     
       16. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores, for one or more particular field devices, information related to physical proximity of a plurality of corresponding field devices, and wherein the coordination module, upon receiving an indication of a compromised state of the particular field device, replaces the function or functions of that compromised field device with the corresponding field devices nearest in physical proximity. 
     
     
       17. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the field devices comprise sensors, and wherein the memory stores, for one or more particular sensors, information related to accuracy of a plurality of corresponding sensors, and wherein the coordination module, upon receiving an indication of a compromised state of the particular sensor, replaces the function or functions of that compromised sensor with the corresponding sensor having the highest degree of accuracy. 
     
     
       18. The monitoring and control system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores decision logic conditions whereby a certain number of failed field devices triggers a safety action, and wherein the coordination module replaces a failed field device with a corresponding field device to prevent counting as failed the underlying failed field device. 
     
     
       19. A method for monitoring and control of a plurality of field devices separately provided in a safety subsystem and a process control subsystem, the field devices including safety subsystem field devices associated with one or more processes or subprocesses and process control subsystem field devices associated with one or more of the processes or subprocesses, the monitoring and control process comprising:
 storing to a memory a mapping of complementary safety subsystem field devices and process control subsystem field devices corresponding to the same process or subprocess; 
 receiving a signal from a compromised field device; and 
 coordinating between the safety subsystem and the process control subsystem including delegating a function or functions of the compromised field device to the complementary field device as indicated by the mapping stored to the memory. 
 
     
     
       20. The monitoring and control method of  claim 19 , further comprising storing instructions to the memory to prevent a delegated complementary field device from intentionally being taken out of service. 
     
     
       21. The monitoring and control method of  claim 19 , further comprising activating an alarm on a delegated field device to prevent the delegated field device from intentionally being taken out of service. 
     
     
       22. The monitoring and control method of  claim 19 , further comprising storing instructions to the memory to maintain process control or safety conditions using a delegated complementary field device.